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Iona University Athletics

Natalia Otkhmezuri
Geraldo Rodriguez
57
Bethune-Cookman BCU 0-8,0-0 SWAC
60
Winner Iona Iona 5-4,0-0 MAAC
Bethune-Cookman BCU
0-8,0-0 SWAC
57
Final
60
Iona Iona
5-4,0-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Bethune-Cookman BCU 10 7 21 19 57
Iona Iona 21 16 11 12 60

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Jack Clark

Iona WBB Edges Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Bethune-Cookman, 60-57, on Tuesday afternoon at the Hynes Athletics Center. The Gaels survived a late run by the Wildcats and wrapped up non-conference play with a record above .500 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona's three-point shooting and defensive prowess was the difference on Tuesday afternoon; 21 of Iona's 37 first-half points came via the three-pointer, helping Iona build a 16-point lead after 20 full minutes of play in New Rochelle. 

It was Natalia Otkhmezuri early on, connecting on all four of her tries from beyond the arc. Kate Mager, Iona's best shooter from deep this season, struggled to find her shot in the first half. After missing her first four shots from three-point range, the New City, New York native found the bottom of the basket on her final two attempts of the half.

Bethune-Cookman flipped the script to begin the second half, outscoring Iona 21-11 in the period to make it a 10-point game heading into the final frame. The Wildcats used an 11-0 run over the final two-plus minutes of action to claw their way back into the contest. D'Shantae Edwards registered seven steals and eight points in the period, taking advantage of 11 turnovers by the Gaels in the third quarter.

A suffocating press and fast-paced offense helped the Wildcats make it a one-possession game twice in the final few minutes. Five straight baskets by Bethune-Cookman in a three-minute span made it 56-54 in favor of Iona with just 1:03 on the clock. Juana Camilion scored inside to cushion Iona's lead to four points with less than 60 seconds to play. Chanel Wilson buried a three with 4.8 seconds remaining, making it a one-point game and forcing head coach Billi Chambers to use Iona's final timeout. Two free throws by Kate Mager put Iona in front by three and Bethune-Cookman's final heave at the buzzer fell short, allowing the Gaels to escape with a 60-57 victory to head into league play above at 5-4 overall.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

  • Chanel Wilson led all scorers with 20 points. Camilion (16), Athias (14), Otkhmezuri (12) and Mager (10) all finished in double-figures to lead the Gaels past the Wildcats.
  • Otkhmezuri connected on a game-high four three pointers. All four fell in the first half.
  • Athias pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and dished out five assists, leading all players. Her four blocked shots were a season and game high for the senior from Brooklyn.

THE OPPONENT

  • Three Wildcats scored double-digit points, led by Wilson's 20. Edwards chipped in 14 points and Nia Jordan added 10.
  • Bethune-Cookman shot 12-20 (60%) from the charity stripe and 3-11 (27.3%) from three-point range.
  • The Wildcats forced Iona into a season-high 30 turnovers, converting those takeaways into 29 total points. Bethune-Cookman's 22 steals were the most by an Iona opponent this season.

TEAM STATS

  • Iona shot 50 percent or better for the fourth time this season, improving to 3-1 in those contests.
  • The Gaels reached the 20-point plateau in the first quarter for the fifth time this season. The Maroon & Gold are 4-1 in games this season when scoring 20 or more points in the opening stanza.
  • Bethune-Cookman shot an even 50 percent from the field in the second half, connecting on 14-of-28 field goal attempts. The Wildcats whittled a 17-point halftime deficit into just one-point on two occasions down the stretch, but never led in the contest.
  • Seven of Iona's eight three-pointers in the contest came during the opening 20 minutes of action. The Gaels shot 7-12 (58%) from deep in the first half and just 1-3 (33%) in the second half. Iona's 53.3 percent mark from three-point range for the contest was a season-best mark for the Maroon & Gold.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Iona finished the non-conference portion of its schedule above .500 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
  • The meeting between the two programs was the first in the overall series history. The Gaels had faced just one opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Conference previously, losing to Grambling back in 1987.
  • Iona improves to 6-6 all-time on December 13, winning for the first time on the date since defeating North Texas, 62-51, back in 2015.
  • The Gaels are now 6-11 all-time against NCAA Division I programs featuring the nickname "Wildcats", adding Bethune-Cookman to a list of opponents that includes Arizona, New Hampshire, Northwestern and Villanova.

UP NEXT

Iona opens Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at home against the preseason favorite in the league, Quinnipiac, on Saturday, December 17 at 1:00 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona women's basketball and Iona Athletics on our social media platforms.
IonaGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Women's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)



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